I'm highly irritated today.
This morning I got the kids ready and we headed to the library down the street to see a reptile show. I had talked to the boys about it and of course they were thrilled! They couldn't wait to see the snakes and other creatures.
We get there and there are red signs everywhere that say "no strollers past this point." Of course this guy stops me and says I need to park my stroller by the door. I politely asked if there was an area closer to where the boys would be sitting so that I could watch them and still be with the girls. He tells me I can stand by the door with the stroller and the boys can sit 40 feet away, out of my sight. I asked if there handicapped seating and he said "of course." I asked if I could park the stroller near there. I told him I didn't care if I could see the show, I just wanted to be able to see the boys.
You can see where this is going, right? He told me to take the girls out of the stroller. I asked him what I was supposed to do with them? Hold them both myself the entire time? I mean, yeah, I could put them in the Mei Tai but it's a freaking million degrees out and I was already drenched in sweat from having to push 3 kids in a stroller across the parking lot. There is no way in hell that the girls would sit still or even stay in one place if I put them down. What if J has to go to the bathroom? What if M has one of his episodes and I have to run after him?
The guys tells me to ask someone to hold one of the babies for me. ummm, yeah. "Hey, random stranger? Can you hold one of my cute little babies?" I don't think so.
So that was it. We left. He told me maybe I shouldn't try to go places by myself with that many children. EXCUSE ME???? I wouldn't take all 4 kids by myself to an amusement park by myself. Or a pool. Or some place that I did not think would be "kid-friendly" or even "stroller-friendly. But the library? Come on! It's not like I just had 1 kid sitting in a stroller and didn't want to take him out. I had my hands full. Can you see my with my purse, diaper bag, 2 babies strapped to me, and holding 2 kids' hands?
Maybe I'm overreacting? What do the rest of you do? When your babies were little did you not use the stroller if strollers were not allowed? Did you carry multiple infant carriers by yourself? Did you sling a bunch of babies? Did you just let them all run free as toddlers? Do you just not leave the house by yourself? Please, tell me your secrets! Obviously I am doing something wrong here!
Now I've got 2 angry little boys. J declared that he wanted to "throw that mean man away." M is pissed at me for not bringing the stroller in anyway. The girls are cranky for being dragged out in the heat. And I'm mad that I wasted $5 in gas to drive there and all I succeeded in doing was putting everyone in a bad mood.
ETA: I got an email from a mom in my local MOMs club who recognized me. She overheard my conversation with the library manager and sent me an encouraging email. She also said that there were 2 other moms that were allowed to bring in their single strollers after I left. I'm even more irritated now and I'm definitely going to follow up with my complaint.
